IMPORTANT:
You place the timebar first, then define the change; not vice versa. You
define the time of the change and then define the change.SolidWorks Animator uses a key frame-based interface. You decide how your assembly should look at various times, and the SolidWorks Animator application computes the sequences needed to go from one position to the next.
You can animate the following:
Component position
Dimensional value of a Distance or Angle mate. You can also mate to single entity curves.
Component properties. You can hide and show components and determine their display mode (wireframe, HLR, shaded, etc.)
Viewpoint orientation and selection of camera views
Component color or texture
Light and camera properties
Position of sketch blocks
You can continue to reposition components, viewpoint orientation, texture, and so on as part of the same animation, or you can create multiple animations each with its own key frames that include key points, component positions, viewpoints, and so on. Animations are no longer configuration specific.
Create a basic animation by dragging the timebar and moving components.
Position a timebar along the timeline to define where you want a change to end. See the list above for items that can change in an animation.
Position the assembly components in the graphics area where you want them to be at the time indicated by the position of the timebar.
SolidWorks Animator places the appropriate key points, based on the position of the timebar, and solves the required animation so that the components reach the positions you designated.
IMPORTANT:
You place the timebar first, then define the change; not vice versa. You
define the time of the change and then define the change.
Use the Animation Wizard to create animations (Rotate, Explode and Collapse, Physical Simulations, and COSMOSMotion simulations).
Create camera-based animations.
Key frame-based animation uses these basic user interface elements:
Key frames. The area that corresponds to assembly component motion, visual property changes, and so on.
Key points. The entities that corresponds to assembly components, visual properties, and so on.
|
|
View keys. Views of the model at a particular point in time (camera view or model view). View keys appear in the Orientation and Camera Views key frame.
Timeline. The area that displays the times and types of animation events.
Timebar. The entity you position along the timeline to indicate the time in the animation you are viewing or editing.
Changebars. The horizontal entities that connect key points and are added as you create the animation. Changebars indicate that a change is occurring between the key points. If the key points were identical key points, no changebar would be shown.
Enable the add-in in the SolidWorks application (Click Tools, Add-Ins and select SolidWorks Animator). To access SolidWorks Animator, use the tabs located at the bottom left of the graphics area. Tabs are used for parts or assemblies, and can include any of the following types:
Model. Selected by default when you open a model. Use this tab to edit the model.
Animation<n>. Animations are listed on their own tab numbered 1 through <n>. Animation1 is the default name for the first animation. There are no key frames for a new model.
With the Animation
tab selected, Collision Detection
and Physical Dynamics are disabled
if you try to move a component with the Move
Component 
tool on the Assembly toolbar.
To rename an Animation tab:
Right-click the tab and select Rename.
Type the new name.
You cannot rename the Model
tab.
To create a new animation tab:
Click Animator, New.
- or -
Right-click an existing Animation tab and select New.
The Animator Options dialog box identifies the changebars and key points along the timeline, and allows you to change the default colors.
Click Animator, Options.
In the dialog box:
To identify an entity, move your pointer over the changebar.
To change a color:
Select a changebar.
In the Color palette, select a color then click OK.
Click OK to close the Animator Options dialog box.
